Adding and subtracting machine.



F. W. RODOLF.

ADDING AND SUBTRACTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. I914.

1 ,24 3 ,224. Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

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I citizen of the United FRED W. RODOLF, OF PORTLAND,

OREGON, ASSIG-NOR TO THE ADDACHINE MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND,OREGON, A CORPORATION OF OREGON.

ADDING AND surraacrme MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 191 7.

Application filed February 13, 1914. Serial No. 818,504.

To. all whom it may boncer'n."

Be it known that I, FRED W. RoooLE, a States, residing'in the city ofPortland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Adding and Subtracting Machines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to adding and subtracting machines, and moreparticularly to a small portable, keyless device by means of whichcolumns of figures can be quickly and accurately added, and also bymeans of which subtractions from a given total can be quickly. andaccurately madev by simply reversing the operation of the machine.

Among the salient objects of the invention are,to provide a device ofthe character referred to which is direct and positive in its operationand incapableoferror if correctly manipulated; to provide a device ofthe character referred to having a series of movable dials or countermembers adapted to be positively moved by hand, or preferably by usingthe point of a pencil or other convenient instrument, there being aunits dial, a tens dial, a hundredths dial, and so on to any desiredcapacity, these being arranged, preferably, one above the other inpyramidal form; to provide in device of the character referred topositive mechanical connections by means of which transfers are madefromone dial to the next adjacent dial; and'in general, to provide avery simple, practical and eflicient adding and subtracting machinewhich can be cheaply manufactured and which can be held in one hand andmanipulated by the other.

In order that others may thoroughly understand my invention, I haveillustrated one practical embodiment thereof on the accompanying sheetof drawings, which I will now describe; I.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge or side view thereof;

Fig.3 is. a fragmentary top plan view with the top and bottom indexplates or dials omitted, and showing in dotted lines shifted positionsof the counter dials; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing a detail of construction. I

For purposes of illustration Ihave shown only a unlts, tens andhundredths combiportions 17 and 18,

nation of dials or counter disks, and these' I have designated,respectively, 10, 11 and 12, mounted one above the other and each beingsuccessively smaller, whereby to leave an exposed edge margin aroundeach to receive the numerals 1 to O. A subtracting index plate or dial13 is provided at the bottom of the dials for use in makingsubtractions, and a top or adding index dial or plate 14 is provided foruse when making additions, said index plates or dials being stationaryand preferably being connected by an arm or stop member 15, having asight opening, as 16, therein, which constitutes a reading position. Thetop or adding index dial 1 1 is provided around its edge with thenumerals 1 to 0 arranged in the order shown and dividing the dial intoten equal segnents. The units, tens and hundredths dials or countermembers 10, 11 and 12 are also thus divided by the numerals 1 to 0,arranged in the same order, and in radial alinement with each other whenthe parts are in their normal or zero position, but not in alinementwith the numerals on the index dials. The movable counter dials 10, 11and 12, it will be noted, are provided with small holes merals thereon,

radial alinement index dials when these holes standing in with thenumerals on the the parts are at rest, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower orsubtracting index dial 13, it will be noted, is also pr0- vided'aroundits outer margin with the numerals 1 to 0, equally spaced, but arrangedin the reversed order from that of the top or adding index, and also tothose of the counter dials, but in radial alinement with the numerals ofthe adding index dial and with the holes in the counter dials. Theconnecting arm or member 15 between the stationary index dials istapered and preferably covers one of the segmental spaces, as betweentwo rows of holes, theholes resting along the straight opposite edgesofsaid member 15, as the parts come to adjusted arranged between thenupositions, while the numerals. on said counter dials, it willbe noted,are in register with the sight opening 16 in said member 15.

Arranged immediately beneath the counter dials 11 and '12, these beingthe tens and hundredths dials. as 17 and 18, having formed therein thecam standing in fixed radial relationship as shown. The parts are aretwo'fixed cam disks,

secured together by means of a middle binding post, as 19, of squareconstruction, with its corners rounded, whereby the movable counterdials10,11 and 12, having round holes therein, can be turned upon said post,while the cam disks 17 and 18, having square holes therethrough, areheld stationary with the post 19. -A screw 19' is inserted into theupper end of said post to bind the top ,or addmg index plate thereto.This construction is clearly shown in Fig. 4.

In order to reduce frictional contact between the counter dials and theother parts, I suitable washers, as 20, are placed upon the tion, withthe spring 22 about to pass over 7 the point of one of the teeth formingthe notches in the member 21. It will be readily understood that as soonas the dial 12 has been moved sufliciently to permit the end of thespring 22 to pass over the point, said spring then operates to move thedial forwardly until the end of the spring is seated snugly in thenotch, thus insuring that the dials are properly positioned so thattheir numerals register properly with the sight opening 16, and also soas to put the dlals with their transfer levers, hereinafter referred to,in proper relationship with the cam disks.

I will next describe the mechanism by means of which transfers are madefrom one counter dial to the next adjacent dial. Pivotally' mounted uponand carried by the coimter dials 10 and 11, are pawl like levers 23 and24, each having upturned fingers as 23 and 23, and 24 and 24", thefingers 23' and 24" being shorter and adapted to engage and be moved bythe cam members 17 and 18, while the fingers 23 and 24 are adapted to bemoved'into and out of operating engagement with notches, as 11 and 12,around the edges of the dials 11 and 12. The cam members 17 and 18 areenough larger than the counter dials 11 and 12 that the fingers 23" and24" are held normally out of engagement with these notches 11 and 12',as the counter dials on which the 2 levers 23 and 24 are mounted aremoved,

excepting at the proper positions where said cam plates are formed so asto guide said fingers into and out of the proper notches of the adjacentdial in order to move it in making a transfer from one counter dial tothe next adjacent counter dial, whether it be adding or subtracting.

As this construction and operation can be best understood by adescription of the operation, I will now describe the operation inmaking additions and also in making subtractions.

Assuming that the parts are in their normal or zero positions, as shownin Fig. 1,

posite the index numeral 2 of the top or adding index dial 14. For theadding operation, these counter dials are moved clockwise. Thehundredths dial is therefore moved until the pencil stops against theedge of the member 15, which puts the numeral 2 on the hundredths dialin the sight opening 16. The pencil is next inserted in the hole in thetens dial which is radially opposite the numeral 5 of the adding indexdial 14, and this dial is turned clockwise until the pencil stopsagainst the edge of the arm 15, as before, bringing the numeral 5 of thetens dial into the sight opening. The pencil is next inserted in thehole in the units dial, which is opposite the numeral 3 of the indexdial, and the units dial is turned likewise tothe stop, thus putting thenumber 253 in register with the sight opening 16. In like manner thenumber 546 is then put into the machine by inserting the end of thepencil in the hole in the hundredths dial which is radially opposite theindex numeral 5, and this hundredths dial is turned clockwise until thepencil stops at the arm 15. This results in moving the numeral 7 (thetotal of 2 and 5) of the hundredths dial into the sight opening. Thepencil is then inserted into the hole which is radially opposite theindex numeral'4 in the tens dial, and this dial is so moved, bringin itsnumeral 9 (sum'of5 and 4) into the sight opening. The pencil is nextinserted into the hole which is radially opposite the index numeral 6,in the units dial, and the units dial is so moved to the stop as before,which brings its numeral 9 (the sum of 3 and 6) into the sight opening.Thus we have the' total of the numbers 253 and 546, or 799. in the sightopening, as indicated in Fi 3. Now if we add 1 to this number, we wilget a demonstration of a double transfer, that is, a transfer from theunits dial to the tensdial, and from the tens dial to thehundredthsdial. In order to thus add 1 to the number 799, the pencil isinserted into the hole in the units dial which is radially opposite theindex numeral 1, and the units dial is turned until the pencil stopsagainst the edge'of the arm 15, as before. In doing this, the transferis automatically made a of springs.

from the units to the tens dial, and from the tens dial to thehundredths dial, and the total of 800 immediately appears in the sightopening as the pencil stops at the arm 15. These transfers areaccomplished by a direct and'positive mechanical connection between theadjacent dials, without the use These connections will now be described.

In manipulatingthe units and tens dials, as just described, the transferlevers 23 and 24, mounted thereupon, have been carried around with theirrespective dials nine- [tenths of a full revolution, or over nine of thesegmental sections into which the dials are divided, and to the relativepositions shown in Fig. 3, being held out of operating engagement withthe notches in the counter dials by the cam plates 18 and 17 The nextmovement of the units dial to add 1 to the total of 799, as described,carries its transfer lever 23 forwardly until its finger 23 engages andis moved outwardly the in clined surface 18 of the fixed cam 18', whichaction moves the finger 23 at the opposite end of said lever 23, intothe notch of the tens dial and thereby carries the tens dial with theunits dial until the finger 23 of the lever 23, reaches and engages withthe inclined surface 18 of cam 18, by which it is caused to move out ofengagement with the notch in the tens dial. By this movement, therefore,the tens dial has been carried substantially through one segmentaldivision forwardly, which forward movement is completed by the operationof the positioning spring 22, acting on the notched member 21, fixed tothe dial. Inasmuch as the tens dial, with its transfer lever 24,occupied the same radial position, the movement of the tens dial by theunits dial, operated in a like manner throughthe transfer lever 24, .toturn the hundredths dial forwardly one segmental section. Just after atransfer has been made, the parts rest in the positions shown in Fig. 1,that is, the transfer levers are over the cams 17 and 18. Furtherforward or clockwise movement of the dials carrying these transferlevers would not operate to move adjacent dials, but would move the dialand its transfer lever independently of any other dial, the cam plate 17or'18, as the case may be, operating to keep the levers free from thenotches in the dials. A backward movement, however, of either the unitsor tens dial, as in subtracting, would also turnback the connected dial,

as I will now describe. If, for example, we

13, and the units dial would be moved in a direction opposite themovement of the hands of a clock. As the units dial with its transferlever is thus moved backwardly, the finger 23 of the lever 23 engagesand is moved by the cam surface 18", causing the finger 23 to moveinwardly so that it engages the notch in the tens dial and moves thetens dial with it back one segmental section, putting the numerals 99 inthe sight opening 16 on the units and tens dial. The tens dial with itslever 24 would have operated in the same manner to engage and move thehundredths dial back one section, and assuming that 800 was in the sightopening 16, the remainder 799 will be put there instead by simplyturning the units dial l0 wardly by the cam surface 18, asin Fig.

3, so as not to engage the tens dial notch, and us the fingers 23 and 24on the short ends of the transfer lovers 23 and 24 are shorter than thefingers at the long ends of said levers, said fingers 23 and 24"" do notengage the counter dial above each, but pass under the notches therein.Therefore the units dial would be free to move nine-tenths of therevolution before its lever again engages and turns the tens dial withit.

If it is desired to subtract the number 546 from this total of 799, itis quickly accomplished as follows: The end of the pencil is inserted inthe hole in the hundredths dial which is radially opposite the numeral 5on the lower or subtracting index 13, and that dial is turned in adirection opposite the movement of the hands of a clock until the pencilstrikes the edge of the arm or member 15. The pencil is next inserted inthe hole in the tens dial which is radially opposite the numeral 4 onthe subtracting index, and this tens dial is turned in the samedirection until. the pencil stops against the member 15. The pencil isnext inserted in the hole of the units dial which is radially oppositethe numeral 6 on the subtracting dial andv this dial is turned to thestop, whereby there is put into the sight opening the remainder 253. Thesubtracting operation is exactly the same as the adding operation,except that the dials are turned in the opposite direction, and thelower or subtractin index 13 is used as the guide in stead of the top oradding index. The transfers are made automatically and as the sum, or asthe remainder, requires, and when the last numeral has been put into thedevice by the movement of a dial, the total, or the remainder, is shownat once in the sight opening 16.

If it is desired so to do, the column of numbers can be added on themachine in the same manner that they are added mentally, that is, byadding the units column first, the tens column next and the hundredtllscolumn next, and so on and Whenever ten is reached in any column, thetransfer is made. For example, commencing at the bottom, or at the top,of a column of figures, all of the numerals of the units column can beput into the machine by manipulating the units dial. After all of theunits column has been put into the machine, all of the tens column isput into the machine without regard to carrying any amount from theunits column. hen the tens column is all put into the machine bymanipulating the tens dial, then the hundredths column is put into themachine by manipulating the. hundredths dial in the same manner. Thetotal will be the same as if the numbers were put into the machine asthey are put into an ordinary adding machine by manipulating the keys,or as before described.

No mental work need be done other tha what is required to manipulate themachine. The transfers are automatically taken care of and areaccurately made at the time they occur, and the tens or hundreds, as thecase may be, is carried forward mechanically during the manipulation ofthe machine.

I am aware that changes can be made in the embodiment here shown anddescribed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I donot, therefore, limit the invention to the showings made for purposes ofillustration, except as I may be limited by a broad interpretation ofthe hereto appended claims.

I claim,-

1. In an adding and subtracting machine of the character referred to,two disk counter dials of different diameters mounted concentrically oneabove the other, a transfer member mounted upon the lower dial outsidethe periphery of the upper dial and moving therewith and adapted to bepositively moved into and out of operating engagement with theperipheral edge of the upper dial for moving it therewith, and a fixedcam disk of intermediate diameter interposed between said dials andnormally holding said transfer member out of engagement with said upperdial as it moves with the lower dial, said cam disk being adapted at oneplace to positively move said transfer member into and out of engagementwith said upper dial for moving the latter a step, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an adding machine, two counter dials of different diameters,concentrically mounted, a cam disk mounted therebetween and being of anintermediate diameter, one of said counter dials having its edgesadapted to be engaged by a transfer member, a transfer member carried bythe other counter dial and normally held out of engagement with saidfirst counter dial by said cam disk, and a cam portion on said cam diskfor operating said transfer member.

3. An adding and subtracting machine comprising in combination a bottomindex dial and a top index dial having index characters arranged inreversed order circumferentially thereof, counter dials concentricallydisposed between said index dials and movable circumferentially in bothdirections, pivotally mounted transfer levers carried by some of saidcounter dials and adapted each to engage an adjacent counter dial andmove it with the dial upon which said transfer member is mounted, andcam members for rocking said pivoted transfer members into and out oftransfer engagement with the adjacent counter dials, substantially asdescribed.

Signed at Portland, Multnomah county, Oregon, this 6th day of February,1914.

FRED W. RODOLF.

In presence of- F. A. BULLINGTON, R. 'B. FRENCH.

